Temple of Artemis

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View from the northwest looking southeast at a model of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Ephesians began to construct this version of the temple in 356 BC after a man named Herostratus had burned down the former temple. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world until the Goths sacked it in A.D. 263.

The temple was built on a thirteen–step platform and in the front it had three rows of eight columns each and on each side two rows of 21 columns. The columns were almost 60 ft. [18 m.] tall.

Note the large "U–shaped" altar at the western approach to the temple.

Today, nothing of significance of the temple remains on the site—save a lone column that was reerected by the archaeologists. Some large fragments of the column base are in the British Museum in London.